Competition

  • March 26, 2024

    Consumers Push For New 9th Circ. Panel In Qualcomm Case

    Cellphone buyers are coming out strong against Qualcomm's request to have the same Ninth Circuit panel that vacated their class certification hear an appeal to revive the long-running antitrust litigation over the company's licensing practices, saying there is no reason for "meddling with the usual practice for assigning cases."

  • March 26, 2024

    FCC Urged To Require Unlocked Phones In T-Mobile-Mint Deal

    A collection of public interest groups is asking the Federal Communications Commission to attach new strings to T-Mobile's proposed $1.3 billion purchase of prepaid phone sellers Mint Mobile and Ultra Mobile, including a requirement that the carrier more quickly "unlock" its phones so they can be transferred between service providers.

  • March 26, 2024

    Google Urges Texas Court To Undo $12M Voice Patent Verdict

    Google has asked a Texas federal court to undo a jury's finding that it owes $12 million to an app developer for infringing patents on a method for calling from multiple phone numbers using a single phone, reasserting that the technology was used commercially well before it was patented.

  • March 26, 2024

    FTC Urges Court To Pause Novant's NC Hospital Deal

    The Federal Trade Commission is urging a North Carolina federal court to pause Novant Health's $320 million deal for a pair of hospitals, contending the move would give Novant an "eye-popping" share of the hospital market in a Charlotte suburb.

  • March 26, 2024

    Meta, Porn Stars Fight Over Fate Of OnlyFans Suit

    Meta traded barbs with adult entertainment performers about how to end a suit claiming the social media giant conspired with OnlyFans to boost the risqué platform over competitors, with the performers fighting to drop their California federal court allegations in a way that they could still be refiled.

  • March 26, 2024

    Deal Holdout HomeServices Can't Undo Sellers' Class Cert.

    A Missouri federal judge refused Tuesday to grant class decertification sought by HomeServices of America, the lone holdout still fighting a jury verdict that pushed the National Association of Realtors into a settlement overhauling rules that have effectively restricted how brokers buy and sell homes and how they're paid.

  • March 26, 2024

    Visa, Mastercard Cut Deal In Long-Running Swipe Fee Dispute

    Visa and Mastercard reached a settlement Tuesday that merchants in a long-running antitrust case say will reduce fees by $30 billion over the next several years, while eliminating restrictions on steering customers to cheaper payment options.

  • March 26, 2024

    Pet Drug Maker Faces EU Probe For Axing Pipeline Dog Med

    The European Union's antitrust authority said Tuesday it has launched a probe into whether Zoetis Inc. had illegally blocked competition by acquiring a pipeline product designed to treat pain in dogs and axing a potential rival's deal to sell it.

  • March 26, 2024

    US EV Subsidies Discriminatory, China Tells WTO

    Domestic production rules for U.S. electric vehicles to qualify for subsidies under the Inflation Reduction Act are discriminatory, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce said Tuesday, announcing it had filed a complaint with the World Trade Organization.

  • March 26, 2024

    UK Clears £1.2B Atlanta-Markerstudy Insurance Broker Merger

    Britain's antitrust authority said Tuesday it has cleared the planned merger between Atlanta Group and Markerstudy, a deal that values Ardonagh's home and car insurance business at £1.2 billion ($1.5 billion), after finding that the deal will not harm competition in domestic markets.

  • March 25, 2024

    Merchants Hit AmEx With Antitrust Claims Over Its Fee Rules

    American Express faces a proposed merchant class action alleging it violated federal antitrust law by barring businesses from taking certain measures to keep their credit card swipe costs down.

  • March 25, 2024

    Meta Defends Axon Reading To DC Circ. In Privacy Deal Fight

    Meta Platforms Inc. on Friday insisted to the D.C. Circuit that a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling on structural constitutional challenges supports the social media giant's efforts to block the Federal Trade Commission from pursuing changes to a $5 billion privacy settlement.

  • March 25, 2024

    3 Class Claims Follow US Antitrust Suit Against Apple

    Days after the U.S. Department of Justice filed a sweeping antitrust suit against Apple in New Jersey federal court, a group of iPhone buyers are filing suit, launching three separate proposed class actions between Friday and Saturday accusing the tech giant of suppressing innovation in the digital apps, wearables and payments industries through anticompetitive agreements.

  • March 25, 2024

    Cable Biz Org. Seeks Delay Of Title II Regs On Small Providers

    A cable industry group is pressing the Federal Communications Commission to defer by six months imposing "core" Title II rules on small internet service providers if it decides to move ahead with a net neutrality regime in the coming months.

  • March 25, 2024

    Amgen Sues Colorado After Drug's 'Unaffordable' Rating

    Amgen has sued the Colorado Prescription Drug Affordability Review Board in federal court after receiving a determination that one of its arthritis drugs is "unaffordable," saying the board is using unconstitutionally "unguided discretion" to impose arbitrary price controls on patent-protected drugs.

  • March 25, 2024

    PacBio CEO's Words Haunt Patent Invalidity Arguments

    A California federal judge concluded Monday that statements made by the chief executive officer of biotech company Pacific Biosciences to investors at an earnings call undermined the company's invalidity arguments in a patent suit it's facing.

  • March 25, 2024

    FTC Intervenes In Teva-Amneal Row To Push Patent Delisting

    The Federal Trade Commission waded into another patent fight Friday with a New Jersey federal court amicus brief targeting the same Teva Pharmaceuticals asthma inhaler patents it has already included in a roster of over 100 it believes were improperly listed in a key federal database.

  • March 25, 2024

    Varsity Brands Says It Will Pay To Settle Cheer Antitrust Case

    A Tennessee federal judge Monday rejected Varsity Brands' request for a one-week pause on an antitrust lawsuit brought by the parents of cheerleader athletes while the two sides hash out details of a settlement, arguing there are no impending deadlines making a stay necessary.

  • March 25, 2024

    Sunday Ticket Plaintiffs Rip NFL For 'Privileged' Name Games

    The plaintiffs in the antitrust class action against the NFL over its Sunday Ticket broadcast package have accused the league of hiding behind a front-office executive, with an inaccurate job title, to claim that vital documents were privileged and did not need to be disclosed.

  • March 25, 2024

    Qualcomm Halts Plan To Buy Israeli Biz Under Regulatory Heat

    The Federal Trade Commission is celebrating Qualcomm's decision to abandon its attempts at acquiring an Israeli company that makes chips that allow vehicle-to-vehicle communication after too much regulatory pushback.

  • March 25, 2024

    3rd Circ. Won't Rethink AbbVie Privilege Ruling

    The Third Circuit refused Monday to reconsider a ruling that found AbbVie was unable to show a lower court went against precedent or made errors when ordering the drugmaker to turn over attorney communications from a patent case allegedly meant to delay an AndroGel rival.

  • March 25, 2024

    Google Faces Consolidated Trial Over Antitrust Claims

    Google will face a consolidated megatrial combining two lawsuits over alleged anti-competitive violations involving its app store, with the Competition Appeal Tribunal ruling Monday that factual evidence in the two major trials can be heard together.

  • March 25, 2024

    Owens Corning Extends $3.9B Masonite Deal Review

    Construction materials manufacturer Owens Corning has agreed to give antitrust enforcers more time to review a planned $3.9 billion deal to purchase door-maker Masonite International Corp.

  • March 25, 2024

    EU Says Lufthansa Deal Could Harm Air Transport Competition

    Europe's antitrust authority said on Monday that Lufthansa's plan to buy a 41% stake in ITA Airways for €325 million ($352 million) could lead to higher prices and poorer service for passengers taking flights in and out of Italy.

  • March 25, 2024

    Tech Giants Face 1st Probe Under EU Digital Markets Rules

    Alphabet, Apple and Meta are being investigated by the European Union over whether they comply with the Digital Markets Act, the first probes launched under regulations aimed at reining in the power of Big Tech, the bloc's executive arm said Monday.

Expert Analysis

  • Preparing Law Students For A New, AI-Assisted Legal World

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    As artificial intelligence rapidly transforms the legal landscape, law schools must integrate technology and curricula that address AI’s innate challenges — from ethics to data security — to help students stay ahead of the curve, say Daniel Garrie at Law & Forensics, Ryan Abbott at JAMS and Karen Silverman at Cantellus Group.

  • General Counsel Need Data Literacy To Keep Up With AI

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    With the rise of accessible and powerful generative artificial intelligence solutions, it is imperative for general counsel to understand the use and application of data for myriad important activities, from evaluating the e-discovery process to monitoring compliance analytics and more, says Colin Levy at Malbek.

  • Competition Considerations From Biden's AI Executive Order

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    In light of President Joe Biden's recent executive order on artificial intelligence and the antitrust agencies' expansive enforcement posture, businesses in the technology and related industries should expect scrutiny, and avoid interactions that could be perceived as unlawful collaborations or exchange of competitively sensitive information, say attorneys at Hogan Lovells.

  • Navigating Discovery Of Generative AI Information

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    As generative artificial intelligence tools become increasingly ubiquitous, companies must make sure to preserve generative AI data when there is reasonable expectation of litigation, and to include transcripts in litigation hold notices, as they may be relevant to discovery requests, say Nick Peterson and Corey Hauser at Wiley.

  • First-Of-Its-Kind Artist AI Ruling Offers Liability Guidance

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    A California judge recently became the first federal judge in Andersen v. Stability AI to rule at the pleading stage on a challenge to claims that training artificial intelligence models involves mass-scale copyright infringement, providing insight into the potential legal exposure of AI-enabled products, say attorneys at Fenwick.

  • Finding Focus: Strategies For Attorneys With ADHD

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    Given the prevalence of ADHD among attorneys, it is imperative that the legal community gain a better understanding of how ADHD affects well-being, and that resources and strategies exist for attorneys with this disability to manage their symptoms and achieve success, say Casey Dixon at Dixon Life Coaching and Krista Larson at Stinson.

  • How 'Safe Harbor' Policy Will Modify M&A Processes

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    Legal practitioners should be aware that the Justice Department's "safe harbor" immunity will change the typical M&A process significantly as acquirers start embedding fraud detection into their due diligence, including a broader scope of examinations and interviews, says Jesse Silvertown at The Ledge.

  • Earnout Contract Considerations After NC Good Faith Ruling

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    The North Carolina Supreme Court's recent Value Health Solutions v. Pharmaceutical Research decision, holding the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing did not apply in an earnout dispute related to an asset sale, demonstrates the need for practitioners to pay careful attention to milestone concepts in M&A transactions, says Benjamin Hicks at Wagner Hicks.

  • Reading Between The Lines Of HHS' National Lab Opinion

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    The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Inspector General recently rejected a national laboratory's request to pay a referring lab to process specimens, but the request might have been an attempt to exploit the OIG's advisory opinion process for a competitive advantage, says Mary Kohler at Kohler Health Law.

  • ITC Ban On Apple Watch Could Still Be Reversed

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    The U.S. International Trade Commission's recent final decision that the Apple Watch infringed two patents owned by Masimo Corp. was a rare instance of a popular consumer product being hit with an absolute importation ban, but it's possible that President Joe Biden could assert his power to reverse the ITC decision, says Benjamin Horton at Marshall Gerstein.

  • Attorneys, Law Schools Must Adapt To New Era Of Evidence

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    Technological advancements mean more direct evidence is being created than ever before, and attorneys as well as law schools must modify their methods to account for new challenges in how this evidence is collected and used to try cases, says Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner.

  • Biden Admin's M&A Rhetoric Outpaces Enforcement Numbers

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    Despite the Biden administration's rhetoric about the need to reinvigorate antitrust efforts, merger enforcement actions by the Federal Trade Commission and the U.S. Department of Justice Antitrust Division are at 20-year lows, with the agencies opting for deterrence instead, says Ryan Quillian at Covington.

  • Best Practices For Cos. Navigating US-China Investigations

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    Given recent enforcement trends and the broad jurisdictional reach of U.S. laws, companies with operations in China must enhance their compliance programs in order to balance new corporate enforcement expectations with Chinese data protection and privacy requirements, say attorneys at Paul Hastings.

  • Tips For Litigating Against Pro Se Parties In Complex Disputes

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    Litigating against self-represented parties in complex cases can pose unique challenges for attorneys, but for the most part, it requires the same skills that are useful in other cases — from documenting everything to understanding one’s ethical duties, says Bryan Ketroser at Alto Litigation.

  • 5 Ways To Leverage Recent DOJ 'Safe Harbor' M&A Policy

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    Companies can take a series of practical steps both before and after closing to gain maximum advantage from the recently announced U.S. Department of Justice merger and acquisition safe harbor policy and minimize enforcement risk, say Jonny Frank and Jeremy Hirsch at StoneTurn.

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